Ndinga told to stay at Auxerre

Auxerre chairman Gerard Bourgoin has admitted he convinced Delvin Ndinga to stay at the club.

By Patrick Haond

Last Updated: 03/09/11 10:55pm

Ndinga: Midfielder was told to stay at Auxerre and help with their Champions League ambitions

Auxerre chairman Gerard Bourgoin has admitted he convinced star midfielder Delvin Ndinga to stay at the club despite huge interest from Lyon.

The club has lost several key players this term including Benoit Pedretti who signed for Lille and Jean-Pascal Mignot made the switch to Saint-Etienne, however Bourgoin was not prepared to see another leave in the shape of 23-year-old Congo international Ndinga.

The club's chairman said part of his speech to convince Ndinga to stay included telling him of Auxerre's UEFA Champions League ambitions.

"I told Delvin there is no disgrace to stay at Auxerre," he told L'Yonne Republicaine.

"He has a very young baby and it is not the best moment to move on. Moreover the club is ambitious.

"This season the ambition is not to stay up, but finishing among the three first teams. The objective is to go back to (the) Champions League."

Ndinga has just penned a new deal with the club meaning he will stat at Stade Abbe-Deschamps until 2015.